Warleigh Point
Know before you go
Dogs
Visitors must clean up after their dogs. Commercial dog walkers are not permitted to exercise dogs on this nature reserve.
When to visit
Opening times
Open at all timesBest time to visit
All year roundAbout the reserve
Warleigh point nature reserve is one of Plymouth's little secrets. Less than three miles from the city centre this is an oasis of calm, a place to get away from the bustle of Devon's biggest urban centre.
The nature reserve's well-walked paths take you through woodland, dotted with ancient oaks, before giving great views of the Tamar-Tavy Estuaries and beyond into the rolling Cornish countryside.
Ash dieback
The disease ash dieback is now widespread in the UK and is present at many of our nature reserves, so we carry out tree felling across our sites in winter months. For your own safety please observe temporary path diversions and closures.
Where possible we will leave affected ash trees in place to decay naturally as an important habitat for wildlife. We plan to only fell diseased ash trees which pose a threat to people or infrastructure. Before trees are felled, we will check whether any rare or protected wildlife is present. If it is, we will postpone or avoid felling these trees. No felling will take place during the bird nesting season.
DWT’s Saving Devon’s Treescapes project are working with communities, landowners and businesses to help make Devon's precious treescapes more resilient in the face of ash dieback. Find out how you can get involved here.
NOTICE: If you are visiting our reserves, please note that there have been instances of H5N1 Avian bird flu found in birds in Devon. There is very low risk to public health, but we do ask that if you come across any unusual or unexplained bird deaths on or near our reserves, please do not touch them and avoid allowing your dog to come into contact with dead birds. Please report them to Defra here or call 03459 335577 and also report your findings to DWT by email at contactus@devonwildlifetrust.org.
Contact us
Great for birds
A mix of trees and water make the reserve an excellent place to spot a wide range of birds. Wander through Warleigh's woodland and you can see nuthatches, treecreepers and great spotted woodpeckers.
Using the trees as a natural green hide, it's also possible to spot curlews, oystercatchers, redshanks, little egrets and shelducks feeding on the mudflats which surround the reserve at low tide. Look too for some rare flora in the shape of a scattering of wild service trees (a tell-tale sign of ancient woodland) and the evergreen leaves of the shrub, butcher's broom.
With the help of local volunteers we've created a series of woodland glades in the recent years, allowing sunshine to flood in. This has created the perfect place for butterflies including speckled woods and silver-washed fritillaries.
Cured in under an hour
A circular walk, taking in Warleigh's woodland, its estuary views, its glades and its small stream, should only take you 45 minutes to complete - making this reserve the perfect speedy antidote to the stresses of city life!